After trying several tools and platforms for building a WhatsApp-based booking assistant, I decided to go with n8n, a powerful automation platform that gave me more flexibility and control over the workflow.
I started by uploading a simple website template from Framer.com, which allowed me to embed the chatbot directly into a webpage. This gave me a smooth front-end experience where I can test the interaction with the assistant as if it were part of a real business website.
Then, I configured ChatGPT within n8n to act like a helpful assistant. I trained it to ask and collect key pieces of information needed for scheduling an appointment:
- Preferred date and time
- Full name
- Email address
- Final confirmation
For now, the assistant is connected to my personal Google Calendar, which I’ve labeled with a mock clinic name. Eventually, I plan to replace it with a real calendar once I find a doctor or clinic to partner with.
One important technical note: this chatbot setup also works perfectly with Google Calendar, so appointments are created automatically without the need for manual input.
At this stage, everything is functioning smoothly. The next step is finding professionals who could benefit from this tool.
Initially, I was planning to pitch the idea to doctors, but I’ve realized the potential goes far beyond the healthcare field. This kind of chatbot could be incredibly useful for any entrepreneur or small business owner who books appointments manually, like:
- Lawyers
- Therapists
- Beauty salons
- Coaches
- Freelancers
- Small companies offering services
To test the waters, I recently showed the prototype to a beauty practitioner, and she’s already interested in buying it. She told me she spends a lot of time answering basic questions from clients, things like availability and pricing, which the chatbot could easily handle. She loved the idea of freeing up that time to focus on her actual work.
I’m excited about this pivot. Over the summer, I plan to stick with this idea, improve the product, and start selling it to service providers who need smarter scheduling tools.
Let’s see where this journey leads next.
